Rathke's pouch

Rathke's pouch

Sketches in profile of two stages in the development of the human digestive tube.
Details
Carnegie stage 10
Gives rise to anterior pituitary
Latin fovea adenohypophysialis
Dorlands
/Elsevier		 p_31/12662673

Anatomical terminology

In embryogenesis, Rathke's pouch is an evagination at the roof of the developing mouth in front of the buccopharyngeal membrane. It gives rise to the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis), a part of the endocrine system.

Development

Rathke's pouch, and therefore the anterior pituitary, is derived from ectoderm.

The pouch eventually loses its connection with the pharynx giving rise to the anterior pituitary. The anterior wall of Rathke's pouch proliferates, filling most of the pouch to form pars distalis and pars tuberalis. The posterior wall forms pars intermedia.

In some organisms, the proliferating anterior wall does not fully occupy Rathke's pouch, leaving a remnant (Rathke's cleft) between the pars distalis and pars intermedia.

Clinical significance

Rathke's pouch may develop benign cysts. Craniopharyngioma is a neoplasm which can arise from the epithelium within the cleft.

Eponym

It is named for Martin Rathke.[1][2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ synd/3564 at Who Named It?
  2. ↑ M. H. Rathke. Entwicklungsgeschichte der Natter (Coluber natrix). Königsberg, Bornträger, 1839.
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